Read Ellen G. White, “Moses,” pp. 241–251, in Patriarchs and Prophets, which will give you significant insights into the studied portion of the biblical text for this week. The biblical text states that “the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive” ( Exod. 1:17, NKJV ). Ellen G. White aptly comments on the faithfulness of the midwives and the Messianic hope: “Orders were issued to the women whose employment gave them opportunity ...
Jul 04, 2025•7 min•Season 7Ep. 2446
Read Exodus 2:11–25 . What events quickly transpired to change the entire direction of Moses’ life? What lessons can we learn from this story? What would Moses do? Would he succumb to the lure of Egypt and to the pleasures of the court, or would he endure hardship with his embattled people? Events soon forced a decision for him. “When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well” ( Exod. ...
Jul 03, 2025•16 min•Season 7Ep. 2445
Read Exodus 2:1–10 . What role did God’s providence and protection play in Moses’ birth story? The historical background of Moses’ birth and life is thrilling because he lived during the time of the famous Egyptian eighteenth dynasty. One king during this dynasty—Thutmose III, called the “Napoleon of Egypt”—is considered one of the most famous pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Though under a death sentence at birth (see Exod. 1:22 ), Moses was born as a “special” son (NLT; Hebrew tob, lit. “good”; Exod...
Jul 02, 2025•10 min•Season 7Ep. 2444
One cannot understand the book of Exodus without presupposing the teachings of Genesis. The Jews moved to Egypt, and, after a time of great prosperity and peace, they were enslaved. But God did not abandon His people to their problems, even though it may sometimes have seemed so. No doubt many of the Hebrew people despaired of their plight. Yet, in the time of distress, God comes to help with His mighty hand. Our Lord encourages His followers: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deli...
Jul 01, 2025•12 min•Season 7Ep. 2443
When Jacob’s family arrived in Egypt after experiencing famine in Canaan ( Genesis 46 ), the Egyptian king was friendly toward the Hebrews because of Joseph and all that he had done for the Egyptians. “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and t...
Jun 30, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2442
The book of Exodus is called in Hebrew shemot , literally “names” in English, according to the opening words of that ancient document. “And these are the names” is how it begins. The names of the patriarch Jacob’s family are enumerated right at the start. Read Exodus 1:1–7 . What crucial truth is found here? The book of Exodus begins with a reminder of God’s blessing. When the patriarch Jacob and his family settled in Egypt, they were only 70 people ( Gen. 46:27, Exod. 1:5 ); but the Israelites ...
Jun 29, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2442
Read for This Week’s Study Exod. 1:1–22; Gen. 37:26–28; Gen. 39:2, 21; Acts 7:6; Gal. 3:16, 17; Exod. 2:1–25 . Memory Text: The book of Exodus resonates with accounts of the oppressed, the marginalized, the persecuted, the exploited, and the degraded. Thus, people today who feel abandoned, forgotten, and enslaved can find hope, because the same God who saved the Hebrews can save them as well. The book of Exodus speaks to the existential battles of life and to the injustices and trials that are p...
Jun 28, 2025•7 min•Season 7Ep. 2441
The God revealed in the book of Exodus is the loving Lord who at the appointed time—and with His mighty actions—brought salvation and deliverance to His people (Gen. 15:12–16). The exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea were pivotal and unique events—God’s spectacular and marvelous acts. No greater or more glorious event ever happened in the history of ancient Israel before the Cross. It is the gospel, but according to Moses. God miraculously and repeatedly arose to demonstrate His ca...
Jun 28, 2025•9 min•Season 7Ep. 2440
Read Ellen G. White, “The Unseen Watcher,” pp. 535–538, in Prophets and Kings. “Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that the fact might be determined whether it would fulfill the purposes of the Watcher and the Holy One. Prophecy has traced the rise and progress of the world’s great empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. With each of these, as with the nations of less power, history has repeated itself. Each has had it...
Jun 27, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2439
When Cyrus sacked the city of Babylon, the years of captivity for God’s people were over, and the Persians permitted the Jews to return to the Promised Land and rebuild the temple. Under Cyrus, the Persian Empire became the largest in history, with what historian Tom Holland calls “the largest agglomeration of territories that the world had ever seen.”—Dominion (New York: Basic Books, 2019), p. 25. As was the custom among the Persians, Cyrus was even called “the Great King” or “King of kings.” C...
Jun 26, 2025•12 min•Season 7Ep. 2438
One of Babylon’s strengths was the way that the Euphrates River flowed underneath its walls, providing the city with an unlimited supply of water. It also proved to be its weakness. Nitocris, an ancient Babylonian queen, had created earthen works along the river to develop it as a route to the city. In the process, she had diverted the river into a swamp to allow crews to work comfortably. Cyrus realized that he could do the same thing: dry up the Euphrates enough that he could comfortably march...
Jun 25, 2025•12 min•Season 7Ep. 2437
After the city of Nineveh had been humbled (612 B.C.) by a coalition army that included both Medes and Babylonians (led by Nebuchadnezzar’s father), the city of Babylon experienced a revival, the likes of which the city had not seen since the days of Hammurabi, their great lawgiver. Under Nebuchadnezzar, who was now free from the problem of Assyrian raids, the city of Babylon grew in wealth and influence to the point where the neighboring nations had little choice but to grudgingly acknowledge h...
Jun 24, 2025•16 min•Season 7Ep. 2436
Jonah had a very distinct message for the people of Nineveh. “And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ ” ( Jon. 3:4, NKJV ). It seems pretty clear: the place was doomed. After all, was that not a word directly from a prophet of the Lord? Yet, what happened to Nineveh? Read Jonah 3:5–10 . Why was this prophecy not fulfilled? Yes, the whole city repented, and the prophesied doom was averted, at least f...
Jun 23, 2025•9 min•Season 7Ep. 2435
The story of Jonah (see Jonah 1–4 ), while brief, delivers considerable impact. Many believers have found reflections of themselves in this reluctant prophet. The story also contains remarkable overtones of future events. Read Matthew 12:38–42 . Which parts of the story of Jonah does Jesus refer to as He addresses the scribes and Pharisees? What lessons about the judgment are found in His statement? Jesus declared that He was greater than Jonah. He knew that coming to this world would mean the C...
Jun 22, 2025•10 min•Season 7Ep. 2434
Read for This Week’s Study Matt. 12:38–42; Jonah 3:5–10; Rev. 18:4; Dan. 5:1–31; Rev. 16:12–19; 2 Chron. 36:22, 23 . Memory Text: This week will be our final look at accounts that help elucidate our understanding of last-day events. This time we will look at the mission of Jonah to Nineveh; the fall of Babylon; and the rise of Cyrus, the Persian king who liberated God’s people and enabled them to return to the Promised Land. As with the other stories we’ve examined, these historical accounts hav...
Jun 21, 2025•5 min•Season 7Ep. 2433
Read Ellen G. White, “God’s People Delivered,” pp. 635–652, in The Great Controversy. “In all ages, God has wrought through holy angels for the succor and deliverance of His people. Celestial beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared clothed in garments that shone as the lightning; they have come as men in the garb of wayfarers. Angels have appeared in human form to men of God. They have rested, as if weary, under the oaks at noon. They have accepted the hospital...
Jun 20, 2025•9 min•Season 7Ep. 2432
As the years have passed and final events—such as the death decree and the enforcement of the mark of the beast—have not yet happened, some have expressed doubt, even skepticism, about our interpretation of final events, including how Sabbath and Sunday could be central to the final conflict. The book of Revelation is clear: we either worship the Creator or the beast and its image. And because the seventh-day Sabbath is the foundational sign—going back to Eden itself (see Gen. 2:1–3 )—of God as ...
Jun 19, 2025•17 min•Season 7Ep. 2431
It’s not just the Old Testament that gives us precursors to final events; the New Testament does, as well. Life was not easy for first-century Christians. They were hated by many of their own fellow religionists, who saw them as a threat to the faith of Moses. They also faced the wrath of the pagan Roman Empire. “The powers of earth and hell arrayed themselves against Christ in the person of His followers. Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept awa...
Jun 18, 2025•10 min•Season 7Ep. 2430
Bible students have long seen the connection between Daniel 3 and what Revelation teaches about last-day events. And with good cause, too, because Daniel 3 —with the command, punishable by death, to “worship the image” ( Dan. 3:15 )—reflects what Revelation teaches about the command, punishable by death, to worship another image. “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the be...
Jun 17, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2429
However much fealty Nebuchadnezzar, impressed by what Daniel had done, at first paid to Daniel and to his God (see Daniel 2 , especially vv. 46–48), it didn’t last. Read Daniel 3:1–12 . What significance can be found in the fact that the statue was all gold and that the king demanded that it be worshiped? The king underscored his defiance of God’s message by constructing a statue made entirely of gold. The message? Babylon will never fall, and Nebuchadnezzar will always be king. And anybody who ...
Jun 16, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2428
One of the most powerful prophecies in all Scripture is Daniel 2 . Writing more than five hundred years before Christ, the prophet set out world history, starting from his time in Babylon and then through Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the breakup of Rome into the nations of modern Europe as they exist today. In fact, talking about these European nations, one text says that “ ‘they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay’ ” ...
Jun 15, 2025•13 min•Season 7Ep. 2427
Read for This Week’s Study Dan. 2:31–45; Dan. 3:1–12, 17, 18; Rev. 13:11–17; Rom. 1:18–25; Acts 12:1–17; Matt. 12:9–14 . Memory Text: This week, we will look at two more Bible stories that foreshadow last-day events in remarkable detail. First, we will examine the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which has obvious allusions to the issues portrayed in Revelation 13 . Then we will turn to the New Testament, where we find that the experience of the early Christians also can help us under...
Jun 14, 2025•6 min•Season 7Ep. 2426
“The First King of Israel,” pp. 605, 606, in Patriarchs and Prophets. “Satan will arouse indignation against the minority who refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will ...
Jun 13, 2025•10 min•Season 7Ep. 2425
There is an unfortunate tendency among some Christians to dwell on the hard things of Bible prophecy. We see that trying times lie ahead, and the study of prophecy can become fear-based, focusing on hardship instead of the promised resolution to the story. While God does not sugarcoat the future, and He is honest about the events that will transpire between now and the close of the great controversy, it is important always to read the story to the end. There is a general pattern in prophecy in w...
Jun 12, 2025•10 min•Season 7Ep. 2424
In the story of Esther, we meet Haman, who is hungry for position and power. He is given a great degree of prominence in the empire, above all the other princes ( Esther 3:1 ). If we read Ezekiel 28:11–15 and Isaiah 14:12–15 about Lucifer, we can find some parallels with Haman, an evil antagonist to God’s chosen people, who refuses to bow to God’s supremacy. Satan’s overarching intentions are revealed in the story of the temptation of Christ, where he takes Jesus to a high place to show Him the ...
Jun 11, 2025•17 min•Season 7Ep. 2423
Boaz falls deeply in love with Ruth and wishes to marry her, but there is a significant barrier: there is a closer relative who also has a claim on the woman and the land. If we consider Boaz to be a type of Christ, this situation may reveal an issue at stake in the great controversy. Christ loves us, but there is a “closer relative” who also has a claim: Satan. What do the following passages reveal about Satan’s claim on humanity? ( Job 1:6–11; Matt. 4:8, 9; Jude 1:9; Luke 22:31 ). When Satan a...
Jun 10, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2422
Naomi asked that her name be changed to Mara because of the bitterness that had fallen over her life (see Ruth 1:20 ). Our relationship with our Creator has been irreparably damaged by sin, forcing us into spiritual poverty. Our prospects are dim, and we spend our lives gleaning what we can from the edges of the field, living on the scraps of joy that can still be found in a broken world. But it all changes the moment we make a remarkable discovery: God has not forgotten us. Read Ruth 2:5–20 . W...
Jun 09, 2025•14 min•Season 7Ep. 2421
Critics of the Christian faith have often pointed to the brutal reality of living in this world as evidence that: (a) God does not exist, (b) He is powerless to intervene when bad things happen, or (c) He doesn’t care when we hurt. Many of the stories of the Bible, however, provide abundant evidence that none of these assumptions are correct. True, God is allowing the human race to reap the consequences of rebellion against Him. But without violating our free will, He is always present, always w...
Jun 08, 2025•10 min•Season 7Ep. 2420
Read for This Week’s Study Ruth 1:1–5; Ruth 2:5–20; Job 1:6–11; Matt. 4:8, 9; Esther 3:1–14; Rev. 12:14–17 . Memory Text: This week we continue to explore stories that prefigure last-day events. By using real-life events and people, God helps us to see things from His perspective and helps us understand how to interpret the prophecies that come later, which are given to help strengthen our faith. Our attention turns to two important women whose stories have touched the hearts of countless genera...
Jun 07, 2025•8 min•Season 7Ep. 2419
Read Ellen G. White, “The Flood,” pp. 101, 102, in Patriarchs and Prophets. “The high priest cannot defend himself or his people from Satan’s accusations. He does not claim that Israel is free from fault. In filthy garments, symbolizing the sins of the people, which he bears as their representative, he stands before the Angel, confessing their guilt, yet pointing to their repentance and humiliation, and relying upon the mercy of a sin-pardoning Redeemer. In faith he claims the promises of God. ....
Jun 06, 2025•13 min•Season 7Ep. 2418
